Water Quality

Step 2: Design
Design should proceed after the suitability of the site is assured and system type and size have been designated (in the letter of feasibility). Design plans must be prepared by, or under the supervision of, an individual certified by Utah Department of Environmental Quality, prepared in accordance with Utah Rule, R 317-4 and

Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Regulation.

The designer will require the soils information, and the feasibility information. Design plans will contain the following details:

The designed plan should:

• Be drawn to scale: 1”=20’ is preferred, but a range of 1”=8’ to 1”=30’ is acceptable.
• Identify slopes 0-25% and greater than 35%.
• Locate private well locations on the property and within 100 feet of the property line.
• Locate public well locations within 1500 feet of the property or drinking water source protection zone 2 boundaries.
• Show any ditches, dry washes, gullies, wetlands, or streams on the property or within 100 feet of the property line.
• Include two soil exploration holes and percolation test results, including location and depths at which the tests were conducted.
• Identify proposed drain field locations including the 100% replacement area and calculations.
• Include the proposed home and other structure locations, including driveways and parking areas.
• Show a side profile of the sewer line, septic tank (including riser), and drain field.
• Include a cross-section of the absorption system.
• Describe the septic tank capacity.
• Include the floor plan with number of bedrooms and planned bedrooms.

Include the possibility of a finished basement; the system’s capacity is based on the number of bedrooms in the home, so if any future increase is anticipated, it should be recorded.

Step 3: Wastewater Permit Application
Complete Application for an On-Site Wastewater Disposal System and submit the following information:

• The name, current mailing address and telephone number of the individual(s) who will own the proposed system.
• Legal description of property, address, lot size and dimensions.
• Source of culinary water supply. An approved source of water must be available. If a private well is to be used, the well must be permitted, installed, and approved before an Onsite Wastewater Permit may be issued.
• Design plans, as described above, in step 2.

The Health Department reviews the application to ensure density requirements are satisfied and to determine which site evaluations are necessary. Permits are valid for one year, with the expiration date printed on the permit. Permits may be renewed for a $75 fee. However, because the rules for onsite systems are subject to change, renewal is conditional upon rule changes that affect the feasibility or site constraints of the subject property.

Step 4: Installation
Health department staff will supply a list of registered installers upon approval of a permit. If the desired installer is not on this list, the installer must contact the department prior to any construction.

If a non-registered is used for the installation, the department will not issue a final approval of the system.

Step 5: Inspection
Once the system is installed, but before the system is back-filled, the health department will perform a final inspection. In addition to verifying that the system is installed in accordance with the approved plan and permit, the following items will be checked:

• Schedule or grade, material, diameter and minimum slope of building sewer.
• Septic tank: all minimum separation distances, capacity, manufacturing, and water tightness
• Separation distances from tank to dwelling and tank to drainfield, at least 5 feet.
• Pump chamber and pump, if applicable. (electricity must be supplied to the pump and the chamber must be full of water at the time of inspection)
• Tank placement, inlet/outlet, material, and manufacturer.
• Floats, dose volume, and alarm.
• Distribution of wastewater effluent from the septic tank to the absorption field.
• The sewer pipe from the septic tank shall not be in direct line with any one of the distribution lines, except where drop boxes or distribution boxes are used.
• Distribution and drop boxes, if applicable:
• Level, inlet and outlets aligned properly, inlet and distribution pipelines properly placed and sealed, unused outlets sealed, and
• Serial trenches shall be connected with a drop box or watertight overflow line in such a manner that a trench will be filled with wastewater to the depth of the gravel fill before the wastewater flows to the next lower trench.
• Absorption field:
• Elevation of the trench bases, relative to natural grade.
• Separation from site limiting features as applicable (e.g. wells, streams, irrigation ditches, ponds, wetlands...), in accordance with Table 2, R 317-4.
• Minimum construction standards as specified in Table 8, R 317-4
• Backfill material: systems shall be backfilled with at least 6-inches of earth, over the permeable barrier, free from stones 10 inches or more in diameter.
• Filter material (gravel): size, clean, free from fines.
• Length of trench.
• Width of trench.
• Depth of filter media (gravel), below, around and over the distribution pipe.
• Permeable barrier such as an acceptable synthetic filter fabric or a two-inch layer of compacted straw.
• Distribution pipelines: Level (maximum slope is four inches/100 feet). Parallel laterals must be inter-connected to produce a closed loop, or continuous system. Deep trenches that have no parallel laterals or serial trenches must have caps on the terminal ends of the laterals.
• Total absorption area determination. (See full document for a description )
• Sketch of system to show dimensions and relative distances.
• Verification of 100% replacement area.

After a system passes the final inspection, Weber-Morgan Health Department issues a letter of certification to the permit holder. The system may then be operated.

Onsite Wastewater Treatment disposal systems must be designed in compliance with Utah Rule 317-4 and the Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Regulation.

Submit plans to:
Weber-Morgan Health Department
Environmental Health Division
Water Quality Bureau
477 23rd Street
Ogden, UT 84401

If plans are not approved, the designer must make corrections and resubmit.

For questions, contact us at 801-399-7160.